Display case



Oct. 10, 1961 H. A. INTERMILL DISPLAY CASE INVENTOR. Hon/HR l7. INTERMLL, ABY

ORNEVS.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m fiTr Filed March 28, 1960 Oct. 10, 1961 A. INTERMILL 3,003,997

DISPLAY CASE Filed March 28, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 flli- 7 30 M kw |3/E| INV EN TOR.

Hownnp H ZVTERMILL, BY

FTTOPNEPS.

Indiana Eiled Mar. 28, E60, Ser. No. 17,910 9 Qlaims. (Cl. 2tld--4S.18)

This invention relates to a display case, and more particularly to a jewelry display and carrying case.

It is an object of my invention to provide a display case of attractive appearance which is adapted to hold and carry a display board, and which when opened is adapted to support said display board in a plurality of display positions.

in accordance with the preferred form of my invention, there is provided a case comprising a pair of shells generally forming the upper and lower halves of said case. The shell forming the general lower half of the case comprises a pair of pivotally interconnected sections movable with respect to each other about a transversely extending axis. A display board having at least one swingably mounted leg is mounted onto the forwardly disposed section in said pair of sections, and the rearwardly disposed section of said lower shell is pivotally interconnected to the upper shell whereby said upper and lower shells are movable with respect to each other about a transversely extending axis for opening and closing the case. Conveniently, the pair of shells are provided with locking means for releasably locking the case in its closed position.

Thus, upon opening the case by moving the upper shell with respect to the lower shell about their pivotal interconnection, and Wh'de maintaining the two lower shell sections in a coplanar relationship, the display board will be presented in one display position. Alternatively, the upper shell and the forwardly disposed lower shell section may be pivoted with respect to the rearwardly disposed lower shell section, and the swingable leg on the display board extended against the upper shell to thus dispose the display board in a second display position. Still another display position is provided by pivoting the upper shell and the forwardly disposed lower shell section with respect to the rearwardly disposed lower shell section into inclined positions such that the forward edge of the upper shell engages and maintains the display board in a third inclined display position.

Other features and embodiments of my invention will become apparent from the more detailed description which follows and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a display case embodying my invention, and showin" said case in one of its display positions;'

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the display case shown in FIG. 1, but showing said case in an alternative display position;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the display case shown in FIG. 1, but showing said case in still another alternative display position;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view similar to FIG. 2, but show- Patent ing the case with the display board removed therefrom;

FIG. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 6--6 of FIG. 3; and I FIG. 7 is a vertical section taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 5.

As shown in the drawings, my display case comprises a pair of shells '10 and 12 which are pivotally interconnected for opening and closing the case. Conveniently, each of the shells is made of wood and has its outwardly presented faces covered with a sheet of attractive flexible material 14 rigidly bonded thereon. Preferably, the covering 14 constitutes a single sheet of material, and thus constitutes the means pivotally interconnecting the shells 10 and 12. 7

As is best shown in FIGS. 4 and S the shell 10 constitutes the upper half of the case and thus forms the top case wall 16 and the upper portion 18 of the case side walls. As indicated in FIG. 5, the rearwardly disposed portion of the upper shell iii extends downwardly and slightly forwardly, as at 20, so as to form the rear case wall 21 and the rearwardly disposed portion 22 of the bottom case wall 23. Thus, as indicated in FIGS. 2 3, this rearwardly disposed portion 22 of the upper shell it) supports said shell in an upright position when the caset is opened intoa pair of its display positions.

As shown in FIGS. l3, the shell 12 comprises a pair of transversely extending sections 24'- and 26 forming the general lower portion of the case. As shown in FIG. 1, the sections 24 and 2-5 are pivotally interconnected 'to each other by the flexible covering sheet 14, with the rearwardl'y disposed section 285 being pivotally inter'connected by said covering 14 to the shell iii. Thus, the shell section 24 is pivotally movable with respect to the section 26 about a transversely extending pivotal ax'is adjacen-t the forward edge of the case, and the shell 10 is pivotally interconnected to the shell section 25 about a transversely extending pivotal axis adjacent the rear of said case. Mating latches 28 and keepers so are mounted on the forward edges of the shell 19 and the shell sectioh 24 for releasably locking the case in its closed position.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the lower shell sections 24 and 26 form the major portion of the lower case wall 23 and lower portions 32 of the case side walls, said lower side wall portions 32 being provided with inwardly extending shoulders 34. As indicated in FIG. 7, the inwardly extending shoulder 34 on the shell section 24 is adapted to receive a transversely extending mounting block 35 whose upper face is generally coplanar with the upwardly presented face of the shoulder 34. The mounting block 36 has a pair of laterally spaced channels 39 formed in its upper face and extending forwardly from its rearwardly disposed edge. Each of said channels has" a cross-member 38 mounted in it in spaced relation to the bottom of said channel whereby a pair of locking tongues 40 mounted in the rear face of a display board '42 may be received in said channels behind the cross-members 33 for thus removably mounting said display board on the lower shell 12. As will be understood, when the case is in its closed position, or in the display position illustrated in FIG. 2, the lateral edges of said board will be support.- ed on the shoulders 34 of the shell sections 24 and 26, with the forwardly disposed portion of said board being supported on the upwardly presented face of the moimting block 36. I

As shown in FIG. 2, the display board 42 has a plural ity of upwardly presented jewelry holders 44 adapted to hold various items such as rings, watches, clips, etc. Conveniently, a plurality of recesses 46 may be formed in said board for holding ring boxes 49. To facilitate removal of the ring boxes 49 from the board, an opening 50 is formed in each of the recesses 46 whereby said ring boxes may be pushed out of their supported positions in the recesses 46.

My invention is characterized by the provision of a case adapted to carry the display board 42 when said case is in its normally closed position, and to present said board in a plurality of inclined display positions when the case is opened. Thus, with the lower shell sections 24 and 26 maintained in their normal coplanar relationship, the upper shell may be swung'into its open position as shown in FIG. 2 in which it is disposed in an upright position supported on its downturned portion 20. With the shell 10 in such position, the lower shell 12 is supported along the front edge of the section 24 and the interconnection between the section 26 and the portion of the upper shell 10 to thus dispose the display board 42 at a shallow angle of inclination.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the display board -42 is provided with one or more legs 48 swingably mounted on its rear face. With the shell 10 in its upright position, one of the brace legs 48 may be swung rearwardly to rest in the juncture between the rear and top case walls 21 and 16 on the case shell 10, and the section 24 pivoted with respect to the section 26 so that the display board 42 is presented at a different angle of inclination.

' Still another position of display may be obtained by pivoting the upper shell 10 and the forwardly disposed shell section 24 with respect to the shell section 26 to dispose the upwardly presented ends of the display board 42 and shell 10 in a converging relationship. The upper end of the board 42 is shouldered, as at 53, and is provided with a plurality of openings along said shoulder adapted to receive the latches 28 on the shell 10 for thus releasably locking and maintaining the case in the display position illustrated in FIG. 1. In such display position, the board 42 is disposed in an inclined position so that it presents the jewelry mounted thereon in an attractive forwardly presented viewing position.

I claim as my invention:

1. A display case, comprising upper and lower shells forming the case walls and pivotally joined together along the bottom wall of the lower shell forwardly of the rear edge of the case for opening and closing said case, said lower shell comprising a pair of pivotally interconnected sections movable with respect to each other about a transversely extending axis along the bottom wall of said lower shell, a display board mounted on one of said pair of sections and movable therewith, and locking means on said shells for releasably locking the case in closed position.

2. A display case, comprising a lower shell including forwardly and rearwardly disposed sections pivotally joined together and movable with respect to each other about a transversely extending axis along the bottom wall of said lower shell, an upper shell pivotally joined to said rearwardly disposed section and pivotally movable with respect to said lower shell about a transversely extending axis along said bottom wall of the lower shell for opening and closing the case, a display board mounted on said forwardly disposed section and movable therewith, and locking means on said shells for releasably locking the case in closed position.

3. A display case as set forth in claim 2 in which said forwardly and rearwardly disposed lower shell sections are pivotally interconnected adjacent the front of said case, and the upper shell is pivotally joined to said rearwardly disposed section adjacent the rear of said case.

4. A display case, comprising a lower shell including forwardly and rearwardly disposed sections pivotally joined together and movable with respect to eachother about a transversely extending axis along the bottom wall of said lower shell, an upper shell having a transversely extending downwardly offset portion forming the rear case wall and rear portion of the bottom case wall, said ofiset portion of the upper shell being pivotally joined to the rearwardly disposed lower shell section for opening and closing the case, a display board mounted on said forwardly disposed section and movable therewith, and locking means on said shells for releasably locking the case in closed position.

5. A display case, comprising a lower shell including forwardly and rearwardly disposed sections pivotally joined together and movable with respect to each other about a transversely extending axis along the bottom wall of said lower shell, an upper shell having a transversely extending downwardly ofiset portion forming the rear case wall and rear portion of the bottom case wall, said oifset portion of the upper shell being pivotally joined to the rearwardly disposed lower shell section for opening and closing the case, a display board mounted on said forwardly disposed section and movable therewith, and locking means on said shells for releasably locking the case in closed position, said display board having at least one leg swingably mounted on its rear face and swingable into a position of engagement with forwardly and rearwardly disposed sections pivotally joined together and movable with respect to each other about a transversely extending axis along the bottom wall of said lower shell, an upper shell having a transversely extending downwardly offset portion forming the rear case wall and rear portion of the bottom case wall, said offset portion of the upper shell being pivotally joined to the rearwardly disposed lower shell section for opening and closing the case, a display board mounted on said forwardly disposed section and movable therewith, and locking means on said shells for releasably locking the case in closed position, said display board being provided with openings along one of its edges adapted to receive the locking means on said upper shell when the case is opened for supporting the display board in an inclined display position.

7. A display case, comprising a lower shell including forwardly and rearwardly disposed sections pivotally joined together and movable with respect to each other about a transversely extending axis along the bottom wall of said lower shell, an upper shell having a transversely extending downwardly otfset portion forming the rear case wall and rear portion of the bottom case wall, said oifset portion of the upper shell being pivotally joined to the rearwardly disposed lower shell section for opening and closing the case, a display board mounted on said forwardly disposed section and movable therewith, and locking means on said shells for releasably locking the case in closed position, said forwardly and rearwardly disposed sections of the lower shell having upstanding side walls provided with inwardly extending shoulders to support the display board in spaced relation to the bottom case wall.

8. A display case as set forth in claim 7 with the addition that said display board projects rearwardly beyond the rearwardly disposed section of the lower shell.

9. A display case, comprising a lower shell including forwardly and rearwardly disposed sections pivotally joined together and movable with respect to each other about a transversely extending axis along the bottom wall of said lower shell, an upper shell having a transversely extending downwardly otfset portion forming the rear case wall and rear portion of the bottom case wall, said offset portion of the upper shell being pivotally joined to the rearwardly disposed lower shell section for opening and closing the case, upstanding side walls on said forwardly and rearwardly disposed lower shell sections provided with inwardly extending shoulders, a display board supported on said inwardly extending shoulers in space relation to the bottom case Wall an having locking tongues releasably receivable in recessed locking 5 viewing positions and when the case is closed, and locking means on said shells for releasably locking the case in closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,641,861 Moss Sept. 6, 1927 2,829,765 Burger Apr. 8, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 452,883 Great Britain Sept. 1, 1936 

1. A DISPLAY CASE, COMPRISING UPPER AND LOWER SHELLS FORMING THE CASE WALLS AND PIVOTALLY JOINED TOGETHER ALONG THE BOTTOM WALL OF THE LOWER SHELL FORWARDLY OF THE REAR EDGE OF THE CASE FOR OPENING AND CLOSING SAID CASE, SAID LOWER SHELL COMPRISING A PAIR OF PIVOTALLY INTERCONNECTED SECTIONS MOVABLE WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER ABOUT A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING AXIS ALONG THE BOTTOM WALL OF SAID LOWER SHELL, A DISPLAY BOARD MOUNTED ON ONE OF SAID PAIR OF SECTIONS AND MOVABLE THEREWITH, AND LOCKING MEANS ON SAID SHELLS FOR RELEASABLY LOCKING THE CASE IN CLOSED POSITION. 